When I was in grade 12, October was right around the time that I was really starting to look into what University I wanted to go to. It was a tricky time! There are so many schools to choose from and programs to look into, it can feel really overwhelming.
Right now, my little sister is looking at where she wants to apply. Luckily, I’ve been through the whole thing and could give her all my good advice. And now I can give it to you!
Here I’ve laid out all my advice for how to find the information about schools and programs that you really need:
First of all, it is really important to research the schools you might be interested in going to. You never know if there’s a school you hadn’t heard about, or a new program that you didn’t even know existed! Plus, you don’t want to hit application deadlines without knowing what you’re getting into.
Second, right now virtual events are the easiest way to get the information you need. Quick seminars give you an overview of what each program, faculty, and residence has to offer. Then, once you know what’s up, you can look more closely at what you’re interested in, all without leaving your own home!
Here are my tips and tricks for getting the most out of virtual events:
- Since you probably can’t visit the campus in person, try to find videos or virtual tours that can give you an idea about what the campus looks like in person (so you don’t get completely lost on your first day in-person).
- Find a way to talk to someone one-on-one (it’s the fastest way to find out what you need, and it’s not as awkward as you might think. They want to talk to you!)
- Attend webinars and then stay for (or find) the Q&A sessions. Even when I was going to in person events, I found that people would ask good questions I didn’t even know I had!
- Keep an eye out for program requirements and extra application requirements for certain degrees (like auditions). You’ll want to be prepared for those and make sure you have what you need!
- Look for ways to connect with current students. They know first-hand what that school is like right now and can give you the most up-to-date information.
- Keep track of your options by summarizing the schools and programs that you’re interested in so you don’t forget about what you’ve looked into
- Don’t forget to look into residences (hint, hint). You don’t need to decide about that stuff just yet but it might influence your decision about where to go if you really can’t decide!
Remember, the best way to make the decision that is best for you is to have as much information as possible.
And of course…since you are reading this you might be wondering, how do I do all of the above for Grebel/Waterloo. Well, Waterloo has webinars every Wednesday, and a virtual open house coming up on November 7th. Grebel has a whole host of options for you to connect with us, including one-on-one chats with current students, academic advisors, and virtual open houses focused on Grebelife.
Hope to connect with you soon!
I hope you find this as helpful as my little sister did. Good Luck with your searching!